One of the most common concerns of the winter time is getting sick.

A recent study connects common cold and flu-like viruses to poor sleep habits.

"People whose sleep was disturbed during the night are much more likely to develop colds than people who went to sleep and slept all night," said Sheldon Cohen, a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

The study interviewed 153 men and women ages 21 to 55 and analyzed their sleep patterns and whether they had any viral infection symptoms. The study was conducted every day for a span of two weeks.

During the study period, patients were surveyed on their sleep habits. For example, they were questioned about the time they go to sleep, the time they wake up, whether their sleep was disrupted, and if they feel rested in the mornings. Then patients were all given a common cold virus dose in order for researchers to conduct several experiments. The researches measured antibodies, nasal secretions, and several other factors to determine who became infected with a virus and who was immune.

The researcher’s data indicated that 88 percent of the patients developed cold symptoms such as stuffy and/or runny nose, cough, and a soar throat. However, only 43 percent were actually infected with a virus and became sick. As expected, the patients who became sick all admitted to having poor sleeping habits.

"People who slept less than seven hours were about three times more likely to get a cold than people who slept eight or more hours a night," Cohen said.

Although researches can’t determine why, it has been concluded that people who have poor sleep habits are more likely to get infected with a virus, especially if they have been exposed to illness.

Being disrupted during sleep and losing as little as ten minutes of sleep a night can have adverse effects on your body and make you more prone to illness. Also, people who stay up late and wake up early are being deprived of sleep, which is another factor that contributes to poor sleep habits.

An adult needs between six to eight hours of undisrupted shut eye a night to function properly.

"Getting sick has always been the worst part of the winter time," junior Preetam D. said. "I always end up catching a few colds."

When someone is sick, the best remedy is always to sleep. In contrast, a lack of sleep can cause sickness. Sleep and sickness are undoubtedly linked to one another. It is important to make sure you get enough sleep, or be prepared for an unpleasant winter.